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Holsworthy home to anti-terrorist unit

Britt Smith

Holsworthy Barracks on Sydney's outskirts, the alleged target of a suspected terrorist suicide attack, is home to thousands of troops and a major anti-terrorist unit.

The 2nd Commando Regiment is one of three main units at the huge army base, which has a world-leading facility dedicated to training counter-terrorism forces.

The barracks and adjoining reserve covers a large swathe of southwest Sydney, stretching from Liverpool to Campbelltown and across to Heathcote.

Its eastern boundary is near the Lucas Heights nuclear reactor.

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Police say they foiled a mission by Islamic terrorists to launch a suicide shoot-out on Holsworthy in what they say would have been the worst-ever terrorist attack on Australian soil.

In seven months of surveillance and a series of raids in Melbourne early on Tuesday, code-named operation Neath, about 400 officers from the Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police and NSW Police made four arrests and are questioning several other people.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Simon Overland confirmed Holsworthy was an alleged target, also saying there was "suspicious activity around other bases".

The Australia Defence Association (ADA), a military think tank, says several thousand troops are based at Holsworthy, a training area and artillery range for the Australian Army since World War I.

ADA executive director Neil James says it ranks about fourth in size, behind Australia's largest military base at Darwin; Townsville and Enoggera.

As well as the 2nd Commando Regiment, the barracks is home to 3rd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR) and the Incident Response Regiment, which also has a counter-terrorist function.

Holsworthy's $94 million Special Training Forces Facility was only one of four of its kind in the world when it opened two year ago. It provides leading-edge training for counter-terrorism scenarios.

Mr James said news of the foiled plot would be unlikely to affect morale.

"I don't think it will have any affect on them. People in the military are used to danger" he said.

"In the remote possibility that the attack would be carried out, most people would have a realistic appreciation of the risk."

Mr James said while it appeared the alleged terrorist group was only small, it showed there were elements of Australian society prepared to carry out attacks on home soil.